I am an external PhD candidate at Utrecht University. I integrate my research in my job as impact advisor at the Oranje Fonds, the largest funder in The Netherlands of social initiatives (volunteers’ organizations on social issues). In this position, I draw on extensive experience in philanthropy, the organizational design and strategic development of social initiatives and impact management.
Holding a Master’s degree in Social and Cultural Sciences and Policy Development, I have a strong interest in the ways social organizations operate on addressing societal challenges, as well as the broader contexts and conditions in which they are working. This interest forms the foundation of my PhD research, that focuses on how social initiatives contribute to strengthen social cohesion. More specifically I investigate which possible role social identity plays in ingroup and intergroup dynamics in these initiatives and how to strengthen their impact, taking into account possible positive and negative effects of bonding and bridging in social groups. With my research I want to advance academic insights as well as the work of the Oranje Fonds and its beneficiaries.
My PhD-project is supervised by Jojanneke van der Toorn (UU) and Liesbet Heijse (RuG), and advised by Naomi Ellemers (UU).
